Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: See fees section below
International/EU: £17,155 per year -
How long will I study?
3 / 4 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
K230
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
Number 7 in the UK
We're the 7th best university in the UK for construction, surveying and planning in the Guardian University Guide 2025.
Course summary
- Experience all forms of the profession, from surveying techniques and building technology to appraisal and conservation.
- Learn how to design, manage and advise on new and refurbished building projects.
- Tackle current industry challenges, such as sustainable design and redevelopment.
- Get out of the classroom and explore diverse projects, with field trips in the UK and Europe.
- Work on real-life briefs with industry experts and practising surveyors at prestigious organisations.
Discover everything you need to know about the building surveying profession – including building pathology, construction technology, building conservation, project management and design.
Accredited by
The course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building.
Number 13 in the UK
We're the 13th best university in the UK for building courses in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
Employability
100% of our graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating, with 88% in highly skilled employment or further study (2021/22 Graduate Outcomes Survey).
Teaching Quality
We're the 5th best university in the UK for construction, surveying and planning in the Guardian University Guide 2024.
Student satisfaction
This course scored 90% for overall student satisfaction, with 91% satisfied with teaching quality in the 2024 National Student Survey.
How you learn
As one of the longest-running Building Surveying courses in the UK, our tutors are highly regarded throughout the industry. Not only are they experts in their field, but they also have strong connections within the profession, giving you a headstart in your career. At every level of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with professionals and diverse buildings, places and communities – both locally and globally.
As the course progresses, you’ll explore the latest trends in the sector. You'll also learn how to apply your skills to real-world challenges, such as the need to balance economic, social and environmental goals in the name of ‘sustainable development’.
You learn through:
- Lectures and seminars
- Technical workshops
- Industry visits
- Field trips
- Independent study
- Practice-based learning
- Group work
- Work placements
Key themes
You’ll learn the fundamental skills of how to inspect, appraise, propose, negotiate, problem solve, innovate and plan in relation to the full life-cycle of buildings and places – from their creation and use, through to their replacement.
Core modules cover surveying skills and techniques, building technology, building pathology, conservation and heritage, dilapidations, law, sustainability and resilience, economics, property development and climate action.
In your final year, you’ll research a topic of your choice, enabling you to master the investigation, data analysis and reporting skills you’ll need in professional practice.
This combination of practice-focused learning and contemporary industry issues will make you stand out to employers, preparing you to leave us a confident graduate, ready for your next challenge.
Course support
At every level of study, students are given the opportunity to thrive, culturally, personally and professionally. Throughout your learning journey, you’ll experience a range of dedicated support, such as:
- Access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development.
- Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments.
- Free access to office and studio space, expert workshops, freelance opportunities and a vast business network ready for you to tap into.
Course leaders and tutors
Applied learning
Your course has been designed to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful.
Work placements
You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement before your final year. This gives you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.
We put a big focus on applied learning, and you’ll get lots of real-world experience on this course, which in turn will heighten your employability when you graduate.
Live projects
This course boasts some great hands-on, practical experience. In each year of study, you’ll work on real projects, responding to briefs set by employers, and interacting with building surveying professionals. This could include investigating and profiling an employer, or working with students from other courses to creatively address environmental issues.
You’ll also have the chance to work with our estate partners on campus development projects. Not only could you help us meet our environmental targets, but you can also have a direct impact on how our University will look.
Field trips
In the first year of the course, you’ll take a field trip to a UK town or city (at no additional cost). Previous destinations have included Durham, Newcastle, Edale and Matlock Bath.
In your second year, there will be an optional overseas field trip to a European city (for which additional cost contributions may be required). Previous destinations have included Lisbon and Berlin.
Networking opportunities
Property is all about people. We’ll help you build a network of professional contacts by hosting networking events with employers. You’ll also be introduced to high-profile industry leaders through guest lecturers and masterclasses.
We have a range of notable Built Environment alumni to take inspiration from – including Louise Brook-Smith OBE, the first female president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Competitions
Our graduates are often nominated and win the RICS Young Surveyor of the Year award, such as Josh Weston who is our most recent winner.
Each year we select and mentor a female student to participate in The Association of Women in Property’s Student Award. Our course nominees compete against participants from a wide range of universities and disciplines from across the UK and often qualify for the regional and national finals.

Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- Commercial building surveying
- Residential surveying
- Project management
- Building control
- Fire engineering
- Property development
- Heritage and conservation
- Loss adjusting
- Sustainability
- Other built environment professions
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for
- Atkins
- CBRE
- Crawford
- Cushman and Wakefield
- Eddisons
- Faithful & Gould
- Independent consultancies
- Knight Frank
- Lambert Smith Hampton
- Local authorities
- Malcolm Hollis
- Michael Dyson Associates
- Rider Levett Bucknall
- Savills
- Workman LLP
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour

Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn more about your department
Natural and Built Environment Facilities Tour
Take a look around the natural and built environment facilities at Sheffield Hallam University with lecturer Camila Bassi.
Equipment and facilities
We’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
You will have access to a variety of learning spaces for both independent study and collaboration, plus industry-standard equipment and software to enable you to learn the tools and techniques you’ll use in the world of work.
On this course you may work with:
- Kykloud, AutoCAD and Autodesk Revit
- IT labs and our Adsetts Learning Centre
- 42 Howard Street, a Georgian terraced house on campus used for interactive teaching
Media Gallery
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 112-120
This must include at least 64 points from two A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- BBC-BBB at A Level.
- DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- Merit overall from a T level qualification.
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS Levels, EPQ and general studies.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language or English Literature at grade C or 4
- Mathematics at grade C or 4
• Access - at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2 from a relevant Open College Network accredited course
• foundation degree - advanced entry - for direct entry to year two you must have a Foundation degree in a related subject, with an average score of 60% across the highest level modules.
• advanced entry - for direct entry to year two you must have a minimum of all merits on all H2 level units in a construction related HND/HNC, not including key or common skills. Compensation for a pass in one H2 unit with a distinction in another H2 unit is permitted.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent.
We consider other qualifications from the UCAS tariff. Applicants with alternative qualifications or a combination of qualifications and work experience are also considered. We welcome applications from people of any age. Please contact us for further advice.
Meeting the qualifications on the entry criteria does not guarantee you a place. You should ensure that you submit a personal statement and reference as these are considered as part of the selection process. Guidelines on personal statements and references can be found on the UCAS website.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Module Aims:
This module will enable you to correctly apply suitable knowledge and techniques to assess, record and present information in respect to the properties and performance of construction materials.
The module will also provide you with broad underpinning knowledge and understanding of the variety of building technology (construction methods and techniques) along with the main influencing factors to enable them to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles of the construction of buildings.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
Fundamentals of Buildings:
- Foundation construction
- Ground floor construction
- Wall construction
- Internal Floors / Stairs
- Roof construction
- Steel / concrete frames
- Doors, windows internal finishes
- Curtain walling and cladding
- Mains services supply
- External and internal drainage
- Introduction to future technologies
- Introduction to Health & Safety
Materials:
- Concrete – manufacturing, testing of fresh properties, testing of harden properties
- Masonry - manufacturing of masonry units, the application, properties of bricks and mortar, Standards
- Timber - production, use and testing of timber, different types of timber products; performance of different timber beams and the manufacture of a composite beam using three different timber species
- Metals - testing the properties of a variety of different metals using tensile testing machines
- Plastics – testing of properties
- Composites - production, manufacture, properties and use of composite materials, testing
- Thermal Performance of construction materials (calculation of U and R values)
- Sustainability of materials
Module Aim:
This module will give you the skills and knowledge that you need to get the best out of your studies at university level and it will inspire and empower you to aim for a great career in the built environment in your chosen discipline through engagement with employers and the world of work, including though an employer-brief based Applied Project.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
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An orientation to study and life at University (including study skills; assessment literacy; academic integrity; academic advising; welfare support; equality, diversity & inclusion; effective team working)
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An introduction to your course (including building your course community; getting to know each other; field trip; meeting other year groups and graduates from your course)
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An orientation to careers in the built environment (including ‘professionalism’; the range of built environment roles; understanding your professional identity; professional bodies and their requirements; ethics and professional standards; career planning and employability skills; employer presentations; networking)
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An employer-led introduction to a core area of work in your discipline (by for example, a set of sessions in which professionals take you through the reality of how they deal with a key task, from start to finish)
This module is key to settling you into your course and connecting you to the opportunities that successfully engaging with the course will give you.
Module Aim:
The principle aim of this module is to introduce you to what it means to be a Building Surveyor and how this role links with the other professions within the Built Environment.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
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Non-destructive testing
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Traditional surveying techniques
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Use of technology in surveying
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Use of drones
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Land surveying
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Photography
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Use of AutoCad
Module Aim:
Built environment professionals need to understand how the projects that they are involved in are shaped by the interaction of social, legal, economic and environmental factors. This module will introduce you to the core concepts of sustainability, law and economics, by exploring them in the specific context of an area of contemporary challenge within the built environment, such as how to increase the number of new homes being constructed.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
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Sustainability (What is sustainability? Where does it come from? Who is in control? How does sustainability enable housing development? How does it restrict it? How does sustainability look in other countries? Is sustainability just about the environment? How is sustainability assessed within built environment projects?)
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Law (What is law? Where does it come from? Who is in control? How does law enable housing development? How does it restrict it? How do disputes arise and how are they dealt with? How is legal risk identified and managed within built environment projects?)
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Economics (What is the economy? Where does it come from? Who is in control? How does economics enable housing development? How does it restrict it? What shapes the economy at national and local level? How is scarcity dealt with? How is economics used in managing built environment projects?)
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Housing (What is housing? Where does it come from? Who is in control? Who provides housing? Who restricts it? Why is there a shortage? What could be done differently? How is housing provided around the world?)
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Module Aims:
- To provide you with the ability to evaluate in depth construction technology (construction methods and techniques) applying the main influencing factors to enable them to apply knowledge and understanding to the design and construction of buildings.
- To equip you the knowledge and understanding of the importance of health, safety and welfare within the UK construction industry. Specifically, the module serves to develop knowledge and application of the interpretation of key health and safety legislation and risk management mechanism in their application to the vocation.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
Technology part:
- Technology of non-domestic buildings including construction detailing / build-up of typical elements
- Develop Technical Research skills
- Functional requirements and performance of building components informing feasibility of the design
- Modern methods of construction - application and performance
- Overview of civil applications (bridges, services, roads)
Health and Safety Part:
- Context and importance of health and safety within the built environment
- Health and safety enforcement, prosecution for breaches of health and safety legislation, role of the HSE
- Health and safety regulations (e.g., Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, Work at Height Regulations, Control of Asbestos at Work, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations)
- Principles and application of risk assessment, hazards and control measures within construction and the built environment
- Accident reporting and investigation processes
Module Aim:
This module enables you to critically evaluate and analyse various contractual procedures and roles relating to procurement strategies, tendering procedures and standard forms of contract. You will study and apply the fundamental legal concepts and areas of law applicable to the contract and its administration to facilitate the successful management of construction projects.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
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Employability skills for placement success
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Procurement Routes and Strategies
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Tendering Procedures and Analysis
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Standard Forms of Contract
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NEC
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JCT
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Administration of Contracts
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Issues relating time, cost and quality
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Carrying out interim valuations
Module Aim:
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To provide you with a holistic approach to the understanding of the most common types of building failure.
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To develop your ability to critically assess and evaluate the performance of a range of commercial building types both UK and internationally. The module is designed to provide a sound knowledge of Landlord and Tenant law with an emphasis on dilapidations.
Indicative content:
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Dampness and condensation
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Timber decay and insect infestation
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Dating domestic and commercial buildings
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Assessing and monitoring building movement
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Wall finishes
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Concrete failure
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Roofing failures
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Loft conversions – rules and regulations
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Non-destructive survey techniques
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Non-traditional domestic housing failures
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Building services defects
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Nature of a lease
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Commercial lease quiz
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Repair and covenants
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Commercial Building Survey (group Task)
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Remedies for breach of covenants
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Commercial Building Survey (Presentation)
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Visit to Sheffield's Key commercial buildings
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Tactics and avoiding problem issues
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Negotiation and settlement of claims
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History of commercial Buildings
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Intro and commercial building pathology
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Hazardous and deleterious buildings
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Site and location analysis
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Cladding failures
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Asbestos
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Equality Act
Module Aim:
In this module you will put into practice the sustainability principle of ‘think global, act local’ by collaborating face-to-face with students from across the Department of the Natural and Built Environment and potentially online with students at other universities around the world, in order to work upon an Applied Project related to the resilience of built environments.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
Collaboration skills:
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Working with others, building relationships, including with external stakeholders
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Developing collaborative and strategic design proposals
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Cross-cultural communication, collaboration and inclusivity
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Communication, presentation and reflection skills
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Understanding and responding to client requirements
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Developing and presenting environmental and construction design solutions
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Reflection on collaborative learning
Resilient built environments:
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Study and consideration of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Resilience and sustainability: are they the same thing?
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Hazards facing built environments (e.g. climate change, flooding, earthquakes, hurricanes, heat stress, war, pandemics, energy & technology failures)
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Infrastructure & resilience
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Insurance, finance and resilience
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Principles of resilient design, construction and use of built environments
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Professional roles and requirements in built environment resilience
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Deep-dive into one hazard (e.g. flood resilience) and contrast UK and non-UK approaches to resilience to that hazard
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Module aim:
The aim of this module is to enhance students’ professional development through the completion of and reflection on meaningful work placement(s).
A work placement will provide students with opportunities to experience the realities of professional employment and experience how their course can be applied within their chosen industry setting. The placement will:
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Allow student to apply the skills, theories and behaviours relevant and in addition to their course
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Enable students to enhance their interpersonal skills in demand by graduate employers – communication, problem solving, creativity, resilience, team work etc.
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Grow their student network and relationship building skills.
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Provide student with insights into the industry and sector in which their placement occurs
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Help student make informed graduate careers choices.
Indicative Content:
In this module students undertake a sandwich placement (min 24 weeks / min 21 hours per week) which is integrated, assessed and aligned to their studies.
Their personal Placement Academic Supervisor (PAS) will be their key point of contact during their placement and will encourage and support students to reflect on their experience, learning and contribution to the organisation they work for.
To demonstrate gains in professional development, students will be required to share their progress, learning and achievements with their Placement Academic Supervisor and reflect on these for the summative piece of work.
Final year
Compulsory modules
Module Aims:
- To provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve professional membership.
- To enable you to understand how the Building Regulations should be interpreted and applied. This will include an emphasis on the Approved Documents Part B (Fire Safety).
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
- Rules of Conduct
- Current Issues in Building Surveying
- Building Movement
- Assoc RICS
- Report Writing
- Rights of Light
- Fire Science
- Internal Fire Spread
- Means of Escape
- Front Room Fire
- Anatomy of A Fire Death by Design
- Means of Escape for Disabled
- Human Behaviour in Fires
- Fire Safety Engineering
- Fire Safety Management
- Detection And Alarm Systems
- Fire Safety Legislation
- Examine Legal Case Studies
- Toxicology And Smoke Control
- Fire Risk Assessment
- External Fire Spread
- Grenfell And Changes to Legislation
- Structures / Approved Doc Part A
- Knotweed
- Bats
- Civil Procedures Rules
- Party Wall Surveying
- Advanced Project Management
- Professional Negligence Update
- Dampness
- Legislative Overview, Intro to Building Regs, Planning
- The Building Regulations 2010, Professional Role of The Building Control Surveyor
- Approved Documents Overview, How to Submit A Building Control Application, Enforcement
- Planning, Background to Legislation, How to Submit Planning App, Design and Access Statements
- Part L and Part M
- Recent And Proposed Changes to Building Regulations, Other Approved Docs (Incl. Part G, F, K etc)
- Licensing Legislation
Module Aims:
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Heritage Conservation: To equip the student with an understanding of both the underlying principles of building conservation and related practical knowledge of the statutory requirements, materials, repair methods and survey techniques.
- Climate Action Retrofit Project: to enable you through working collaboratively in an immersive, work integrated learning environment, to address an employers’ brief use your disciplinary knowledge and given professional identity to identify, formulate and advance feasible retrofit proposals to address energy and environmental challenges posed to existing buildings by the climate emergency.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
Heritage Conservation:
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Conservation Philosophy
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Structural Issues
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Listing & Conservation Areas
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Planning requirements and statutory requirements relating to Conservation area and listed buildings
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Condition surveys, management of fabric upgrades and site work for historic buildings
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Conservation materials and specialist skills
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Building architecture and construction form and detail for various building periods, Georgian, Victorian and Modern
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Aspects of International Conservation
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Fire Safety in Historic Buildings
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Change of Use for Historic Buildings?
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Measurement
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Defects And Repair to Historic Buildings
Climate Action Retrofit Project:
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Climate change, energy and the built environment
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Strategies for climate action and delivering Net Zero
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Construction and Real Estate professionals’ roles and perspectives on climate action
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Energy efficiency in new build
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Retrofitting existing buildings
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The challenges and dangers of retrofit (eg Grenfell tower)
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Evaluating research and technologies for retrofit
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Selecting, costing and communicating retrofit proposals
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Reflection upon your personal development during the course and planning for your future personal development
Module Aim:
This module will give you the skills that you need in order to plan and implement an individual research study related to a built environment topic of your choice with a particular emphasis on the types of research questions, research methods and data sources that you will encounter in professional practice.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
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Deciding what to research, based upon reflection on your career goals and experience to date
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Formulating a workable Research Question
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Research ethics
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Critical evaluation of data sources and existing studies
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Working with policy and business information sources
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Understanding intellectual property, data re-usage rights and information governance
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Gathering and preparing existing data for re-processing
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Hypothesis testing, basic algorithms, validity and verification
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Quantitative data analysis: working with Big Data and data mining
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Qualitative data analysis: working with texts, maps, images, case studies, legal materials
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Descriptive, predictive and normative analysis
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Dealing with uncertainty, incompleteness and bias
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Succinct communication of findings
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Evidence-based decision making
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How to reflect on the progress and effectiveness of a research project
Module Aim:
In this module you will carry out an individual research study related to a built environment topic of your choice, and report and reflect upon the outcome of that study, with a particular emphasis on the types of research questions, research methods and data sources that you will encounter in professional practice. You will report and reflect upon the outcome of your study.
Indicative content:
Module content may vary in response to changing teaching and professional developments but could include:
NB: this module will not have taught content (that is provided in the Research Methods module). The following listing is therefore the knowledge and skills that you will use and develop by undertaking your individual project:
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Keeping your Research Question and research design under review as your study progresses
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Critical evaluation of data sources and existing studies
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Working with policy and business information sources
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Understanding intellectual property, data re-usage rights and information governance
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Gathering and preparing existing data for re-processing
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Hypothesis testing, basic algorithms, validity and verification
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Quantitative data analysis: working with Big Data and data mining
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Qualitative data analysis: working with texts, maps, images, case studies, legal materials
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Descriptive, predictive and normative analysis
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Dealing with uncertainty, incompleteness and bias
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Succinct communication of findings
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Evidence-based decision making
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How to reflect on the progress and effectiveness of a research project
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year)

Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for School of Engineering and Built Environment (PDF, 142.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.